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Listed buildings

A listed building is a building or structure that’s considered of national historical or architectural interest. Every part of a listed building is protected, including the interior and any later alterations or additions. 

Camden has more than 5,600 listed buildings in a variety of ages, types and architectural styles. For example, the 11th century St Pancras Old Church and the 1970s-built Alexandra Road Estate are both listed. 

Listed building grades  

Listed buildings have 3 grades:  

  • Grade I  

  • Grade II*  

  • Grade II  

Grade I are buildings of exceptional interest and make up around 2.5% of all listed buildings. Grade II* buildings are particularly important buildings of more than special interest and make up around 5.8% of all listed buildings. Grade II buildings are of special interest.  

The listed building rules and regulations are the same for each grade.  

How we protect listed buildings 

If you want to make any changes to a listed building, you must apply for special permission. This is called listed building consent and is separate from planning permission. 

It’s a criminal offence carry out or cause work to be carried out to a listed building without listed building consent, even if you did not realise the building was listed.  You can find a map of listed buildings in Camden to check. 

We would not normally approve requests to:   

  • demolish a listed building   

  • make any alterations that would involve the loss of historic parts of the building  

  • obscure the original plan form, layout or structural integrity  

  • otherwise diminish the historic value of listed buildings 

We also aim to keep listed buildings in their original use or, if this use no longer exists, in another use that causes the least harm to the building.

Find more information about the maintenance of listed buildings. 

Report a problem with a listed building  

If you think unauthorised work is happening to a listed building, you should let us know as soon as possible. Report it using our enforcement complaint form.  

You can report a listed building that's derelict or not being properly preserved to us by email at planning@camden.gov.uk or by using our enforcement complaint form. 

How to get a building listed 

There are 3 ways that a potential listed building is identified:  

  • threat: it’s under serious threat of demolition or major alteration 

  • priority: it supports one or more of Historic England's current listing priorities  

  • potential: it has a very strong potential for being listed, scheduled or registered  

If you think a building should be considered for listed status, you can find more information about the listing process from Historic England, including how to apply for listing.